1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of sterilizing at least one object, to a sterilization apparatus and to a use of same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sterilizing methods using ozone are already known from the prior art, for example from EP 1 175 230 B1, in which blood hose systems are sterilized in outer packaging in a sterilization chamber having process steps of evacuation and gassing in ozone as a sterilization agent.
The long sterilization times, the expensive outer packaging and the problems which accompany a controlled vapor phase in the sterilization chamber prove to be disadvantageous here. In this respect, a condensation and drying up namely frequently results due to the pressure fluctuations in the sterilization chamber, which prevents a defined sterilization atmosphere in the sterilization chamber.
Furthermore, methods are known from the prior art in which the sterilization agent is conducted through apparatus having sterilization zones which are difficult to reach. For example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,414 a vessel having a vaporizable sterilization agent is connected to the lumen of such an apparatus, with the sterilization agent subsequently being conducted through the lumen by application of a negative pressure.
Such processes are also frequently used for sterilizing endoscopes and similar apparatus, for example. Since such apparatus have to be sterile both internally and externally, only one end of the hollow space or of the lumen is connected to a flow means line of the sterilization agent here, such as can be seen, for example, from DE 198 27 442 A1, so that the sterilization agent can also sterilize the outside of the apparatus after passing through the lumen.
Furthermore, it is known from the prior art, for example, to dispense with the use of outer packaging for apparatus to be sterilized in that such apparatus such as hose systems or medical cassette systems are closed under sterile conditions in the sterilization chamber by means of closing caps. Examples for such closing caps are known, for example from DE 28 18 146 A1, DE 38 25 573 A1 and DE 35 15 665 C1.